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Bushcraft Glove Throwdown - Deerskin Edition

​Is there even such a thing as bushcraft gloves? Well I googled it and was led to a bunch of forums that just made fun of the idea of “bushcraft gloves”. So no… bushcraft gloves do not exist. Everybody just says that bushcraft gloves are just mechanics gloves, work gloves, or whatever kind of gloves you happen to be carrying in the woods.

I was pretty disappointed that there wasn’t a good reference or gear guide for the type of gloves I was looking for. So I guess the Camplifebros have to be the geeks that invent the category of bushcraft gloves!

Basics

​All gloves should provide protection… the gloves should protect my dainty hands from getting scratched up when I’m processing firewood or picking my way through thorny bramble bushes.

There are other qualities that you may want out of a bushcraft glove, but protection is a basic feature that all gloves need. The next few characteristics of a bushcraft glove you may or may not find important to you. Everyone will have their preferences.

Here’s my big three

1. Dexterity

​Can you do fine motor-skill tasks with your gloves on? Or do you have to constantly take your gloves on and off? Are the gloves stiff and turn your hands into giant leather clubs? Or do your hands retain their sensitivity as if you weren’t wearing gloves at all.

2. Durability

Obviously we expect abrasion resistance and tear resistance. How long will your gloves last? Will they last a season or two, the whole year, or a few years before they need to be replaced. Will they wear out and get all deformed and lose their fit? Will they get stiff and feel like slipping on cardboard?

3. Heat Resistance

Can you pick up a pot/pan from a hot fire and pour or stir whatever you are cooking while holding the handle with your gloves. Can you pick up burning logs to adjust your fire, or even pick up red hot coals for a brief second without burning your hands or completely destroying your gloves? ​

Other Characteristics

Water resistance, warmth and insulation, breathability, do they dry quickly?

Deerskin Glove Review

​The first glove we are going to review in this series is an insulated deerskin glove. Deerskin is a thin leather that has a combination of durability and pliability. What sets deerskin apart from other leathers is that it does well in wet conditions. I guess this has something to do with deer just standing out in the rain, so they have a coat that works great with rain. But don’t all animals stand out in the rain? Deerskin is also supposed to withstand thorns and bramble bushes since that is also a part of the deer habitat. I am not sure on all of this. But here are the things that I can tell you about deerskin gloves.

Deerskin's Dexterity

​Supple is the word. They are extremely soft and supple. The pliable leather of deerskin conforms to your hands giving you the grip to handle whatever it is you are grabbing. You can do more intricate tasks with these gloves because they are thin and stretch to the shape of your hands and fingers.

These deerskin gloves give you enough dexterity to grab the zippers on your bag to open or close it. You can button your shirt, zip your coat, or unzip your pants, all without taking your gloves off. You can even untie a knot, but you may have trouble tying a knot. Having the ability to do all of these things with your gloves on is a very nice feature.

These are the softest gloves I’ve ever used in the woods.

​Deerskin's Durability

​They are perfectly fine for wood processing. Or walking in the woods and protecting your hands as you navigate through thorny and brambly bushes. Deerskin is supposed to be quite durable, however, the thinness of these gloves make me question how long these will last. I anticipate these deerskin gloves will last me a year, which is pretty good considering how thin they are.

One factor with durability is whether the glove will feel the same after many uses. One of the amazing features of this deerskin glove is that it will remain soft and supple after repeated beatings or exposure to the elements. Other leathers tend to get very rigid and stiff after getting wet, making it difficult to squeeze or grip onto things. Even after some leathers dry, they still remain dry and stiff as cardboard. Deerskin does not do that.

Deerskin dries soft. It does not shrink or stiffen up when it's wet. Deerskin's superhero power is its ability to stay soft and supple in wet climates. Here in the Pacific Northwest, deerskin gloves deserve your consideration if you are on the hunt for a bushcraft glove.

Deerskin's Heat Resistance

​I was disappointed in their ability to withstand heat. I tried picking up a hot cast iron pan from the fire, and could not hold the pan handle for more than a few seconds. I also tried picking up hot coals while wearing the gloves but could feel the heat penetrating almost instantly. The gloves did not burn or catch fire, they only browned a little bit. So they are durable enough for the fire, but they do not provide enough protection for your hands.

My guess is that thermal mass is an important factor when it comes to being able to pick up hot pans and hot coals. The thicker/denser the glove, the longer it takes for the heat to penetrate the glove and into your hands. These deer skin gloves are so thin and pliable, there simply isn’t enough thermal mass to protect your hands from feeling the heat. I don’t think this has anything to do with deerskin leather, but that these particular gloves simply are not dense enough. The leather is durable enough to not burn, but the glove combined with its insulation is not dense enough to protect your own hands from burning. I'm sure there are other deerskin gloves out there that have a little bit more thermal mass and will provide better heat protection.

Other Factors

​Warmth. These gloves are plenty warm with 100 g of Thinsulate. I’ve used them in wet rainy weather, ranging from 30 F - 45 F degrees while camping. They were so comfortable that I kept them on for most of the day. My hands never got too warm or too sweaty. And it was cold and wet enough outside that I never wanted to take them off.

Comfort. They were just so comfortable that I kind of forgot about them the whole day. You cannot underestimate how valuable deerskin gloves are when it comes to comfort and fit.

Moisture. After an entire day of using them in wet snow, the gloves definitely got saturated with water. But my hands stayed dry, and not once did I feel any wetness or dampness on the inside of the gloves. At night I dried them by the fire for about 15-20 minutes and they were ready to go again. Dry, soft, and supple.

Color. The color of these deerskin gloves is a bold yellow. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. The color might be too much for some. Though the yellow color is bright and bold right out of the box, over time and use, these gloves will age well and get a nice worn in look. I think the yellow gloves are a feature, being a person that is always looking for their brown leather gloves on a brown forest floor, it’s a lot easier to spot these bright yellow gloves.

Conclusion

I love nearly every aspect of these gloves, the dexterity, comfort, warmth, durability in moisture, adequate hand protection, and low-mid level pricing. But the lack of heat handling is a deal breaker for me. I cook a lot over the fire, and I need something to help me pick up hot pans and protect my hands while I’m adjusting hot coals and burning logs. If doing those things isn’t a priority for you, then these would make great bushcraft gloves. You can still use them around the fire in a pinch, but don’t expect much here. Despite all of that, these gloves are so comfortable, pliable, and work so well in the cold and rain, that I plan to continue to bring these out in the woods. I’ll just need to continue the search for a campfire glove. Stay tuned as we continue the search for the perfect bushcraft glove.

​-- Herman

Here are a couple of deerskin gloves at a good value you can find at Amazon